


An Unexpected Evening

by Lotusinthedark



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Ferris Wheels, First Dates, Sweet, The_Typing_Cat, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lotusinthedark/pseuds/Lotusinthedark
Summary: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger have worked together for the past year to bring Death Eater's to justice. Neither of them knew they'd have a date for Valentine's Day, but plans change, and opportunities are created.The_Typing_Cat was my assigned partner. Here is the prompt and preferences:Prompt: Gallivanting, peacock , propensity, alleviateSquicks/Triggers: non con, extreme violence, forced loveFavourite Trope(s): coworkersHEA/Non HEA:  HEA (Happily Ever After) please!Hope you enjoy!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 27
Kudos: 56
Collections: Strictly Dramione Valentine’s Day Fic Exchange Fest





	1. Work

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Blessed_Iniquity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blessed_Iniquity/gifts).



**Chapter 1: Work**

Draco walked silently through the halls of the Ministry of Magic. It wasn't the first time he had walked this path. Draco spent the past year assisting the Auror department search for Death Eaters. The mark on his arm was connected to others. Draco didn’t understand how that was possible, but his ability to track down Death Eaters was unparalleled. No other method worked as well as this.

So that’s the way it had been for one entire year. Every week - every single week for the past year, he did it. The Ministry called it his community service in the beginning, but then his three months were over. Now, Draco wanted to do this, and it was his job. Hell, he was more than happy to do it. It hadn't ever really been the Ministry of Magic forcing his hand. 

The filth that had entered his home, broken his family- it hadn’t been Muggle-borns- it had been Pure Blooded Death Eaters. He had planned to go after them alone, but Kingsley let slip that one of his people had found a way to use his Dark Mark as a tool against them. The Minister of Magic hinted that if Draco agreed to help, it would assist in a more lenient sentence on Lucius. Draco had not entirely understood how it would happen, but he was eager to start tracking down the slime. Additionally, if he wanted his Father to avoid a death sentence, he needed to play this game. There were still some days he didn't know if it was worth it. But, his Mother loved his Father. Draco wouldn't hurt her by sentencing him to death.

Draco hadn't realized who had discovered the way to utilize the Dark Mark. He agreed to work with that person before taking the time to think it through and ask Kingsley questions. Just the thought of being able to seek some payback had been more than enough for him.

Several faces- Aurors, and their assistants- turned to glance briefly at him as he passed by. A few gave a nod of acknowledgment or wave in greeting. Draco only ever responded with a nod of his own. He approached the end of the hall, and knocked softly on the door. A very familiar voice responded.

"Come in."

He turned the silver doorknob, entering and letting the door fall shut behind him. Hermione Granger sat in a talk, dark chair next to a cushioned chaise lounge chair. There were several potion bottles on the small table at her elbow. 

"How are you feeling this week?" Hermione asked as Draco made his way to the chaise.

"The after effects were less than expected." He replied while removing his dark jacket, handing it to her. Hermione reached out a hand, took the coat and placed it behind her on the chair. At the same time he gave her his arm.

"Excellent. Hopefully that keeps being true." She undid his cufflink before rolling up his sleeve to reveal the inked skin.

Merlin, it had been cold between them at first. Those early days had been terrifyingly hostile, on both sides. Granger could stare a poltergeist into retreating if she felt like it.

Now, it was different. Hermione no longer moved in abrupt, guarded motions. She was as relaxed as he was. He actually looked forward to these weekly meetings. Somewhere along the road of this year, the ice between them had fractured.

"And you?" Draco replied, "Your week?"

Her hand gently spread an icy salve across his Dark Mark. "McLaggen's been buggering me all week about Valentine's Day- I finally told him I'd be with you."

Draco chuckled darkly. "This is _not_ exactly what I'd call a Valentine's date."

She gave a shrug, tucking her hair behind her ear and reaching to pour the first potion. Draco had been able to help locate several Death Eaters using this method. Hermione was the only one he believed he could trust while in the strange trance. Others probably would've hurt him when he was vulnerable, but not this witch. 

She handed him the first vial of potion. He drank it down, then sat back against the cushions, beginning to feel dizzy. Hermione put a second cup into both his hands, giving a gentle squeeze to make sure he gripped it properly. He downed it. The icy sensation from the Dark Mark spread through his entire body. Draco shuddered, gritting his teeth as Hermione put a hand on his arm, helping him to lay back. Last was the hellish one. The moment Draco downed this drink, his mind would transport to another Death Eater's. He would see from that mind, and describe everything he could to Hermione. She would record everything, and her brilliant mind puzzled out where they could find the Death Eater.

There was a cost. Draco's body was wrecked for two days after this ordeal. He couldn't function at all the first day. The second day he felt like he was getting over the flu. And the rest of the week, he prepared himself to go through it again, often having dreams that took him back to that Death Eater. But for the first two days, he was sick and weak. Even in that rough beginning, he knew he could trust Hermione to take care of him. Draco never doubted her inclination to strive for the greater good. They both wanted Death Eaters to pay for what they had done. She would never hurt him because of that.

Bracing himself, Draco waited. Once the chill made its way to his bones, teeth ground together to keep from chattering, he opened his eyes and met hers with a nod. She silently nodded back and put a third cup to his lips.

This one took him away. His mouth opened and he began to speak. "...It's sunset. They're standing on a balcony. I can hear water- no, waves. Yes, he turned, there is an ocean… but there are too many umbrellas in the sand. It's a Muggle beach-"

He listed everything he could see as the man walked from the hotel, including the license plate and car model- and what side of the street the man drove on. Every street name and building he could make out. Every detail. As much as possible.

Draco dug his nails slowly into his palms as he worked. The icy cold of the numbing potion faded the longer he stayed in this state. It was slowly replaced by heat and pinpricks, the consciousness of the Death Eater unknowingly pushing him away. Normally, he would continue until he damn near passed out, feverish and ill. This time, a hand gently pressed over his mouth. He jumped, snapping his eyes open and breaking the trance.

Everything came back slowly. That was the shortest session all year. He blinked through the fading haze of the vision until he saw Hermione, her voice growing clearer. Harry Potter stood nearby with the paper she'd been scribbling on. She spoke to him rapidly with excited hand gestures. The black haired man gave Draco a grin and thumbs-up as he dashed from the room with the location she'd deduced.

"That was amazing," Hermione said in a rush as Harry left the room, beaming as she turned. "You've never pinpointed a location so quickly! It worked."

Draco blinked in confusion. He flexed his hand, sitting up slowly as the pinprick sensation faded. "What worked?"

"Well..." Hermione pointedly avoided his eyes now, flicking her wand to pack up the potion bottles. "I adjusted the potion just a smidgen. It will only target Death Eaters on the move now, so hopefully you won't have to endure the potion for a full hour."

That was a kindness he hadn't expected. Draco continued to stare at her face for a moment, taken aback. Hermione's eyes flickered to meet his, but quickly turned back to her task of cleaning up.

"...why would you do that?" Draco asked quietly.

Hermione didn't answer because the door opened and another Auror hurriedly entered the room. No, it was an assistant to the Auror department. Draco saw the badge, then the name slowly came to his mind. Cormac McLaggen? What was he doing? "Hermione! Never thought you'd be done this early!"

The man strode inside, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder with a too-familiar caress. Draco felt his lip curl down at that sight. Hermione grimaced slightly before placing a rather forced smile on her lips and turning her head up to look at him.

"McLaggen, don't you need to be going with Harry right now?" She asked, obviously trying to get the man to leave.

"I told him I'd catch up. I thought I'd ask again, since it looks like now you're free- Valentine's Day is tomorrow…" McLaggen raised an eyebrow in a suggestive way, completely ignoring the fact that there was another person in the room. "How about it? You, me, a home cooked dinner?"

Hermione was trying to think of an excuse. Draco saw it. Then, he spoke before he thought about it. "Denied, McLaggen. She's got plans."

The man turned his attention to Draco, expression folding into a frown. "What plans?"

"With me. We're going _out_ to eat, as it's the _proper_ thing to do." Draco replied, enjoying the shocked look of surprise from both their faces. Hermione masked it immediately. The hand on her shoulder tightened. Why was that bothering him so much? Draco sat forward and took McLaggen's hand from her shoulder, sneering slightly. "And I'd suggest you keep your hands to yourself."

Draco sat back, beginning to roll down his sleeve, surprised as Hermione turned to help him. He let her, meeting the man's shocked stare with a satisfied smirk. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Auror?"

"This is a joke." McLaggen spat. "This… She- she would never agree- she said she'd be…" the man paused for a moment, speaking slower as understanding dawned on his face. "With you… on Valentine's Day…"

"And she will." Draco said smoothly, placing his hand on Hermione's, giving it a polite squeeze. "What did you think she meant?"

Without another word, McLaggen turned and vanished through the door, shutting it firmly. Hermione gave a sigh of relief when he was gone, then smacked Draco's hand, snatching her own back and hissing in a low tone. "Plans? With you? Going out to eat? Draco! What were you thinking?!"

"You said you'd be with me, anyway." Draco spoke with a carefree shrug. "I wasn't lying-"

"That's not the way I meant it, and you know it," she quipped back sharply.

"I just came out of a trance." Draco snapped, frowning at her. Why was she so angry? "I didn't see you think up anything better on the spot."

She paused before picking up her bag and standing. "...that's a point. McLaggen doesn't take no as an easy answer. That would've been a nightmare!"

"Well, at least I can promise you that I'll keep my hands to myself." Draco said while pulling on his jacket.

"You'll-wait, what?" She gave him a confused stare, then her dark eyes widened. Her bag slid from her fingertips, landing on the floor with a rattling thud.

"What in Merlin's beard do you _have_ in that thing?" His eyebrows shot up at the sound as he looked at the bag sharply.

She cursed under her breath, sitting back down to snatch the bag up, pulling it in her lap. "Draco you can't possibly mean _actually_ going on a Valentine's date?"

"I do, actually." Draco said calmly. Although, hearing her say it made his heart flutter for a moment. "After that show, you know he's going to ask about it later. One night out with me, and I guarantee he'll never bother you again."

Hermione sat there for a long moment, staring at him, frozen. "...why would you do this?" She finally spoke, voice soft, fingers slowly tightening against the fabric of her bag.

An echo of his own question. Why did she go out of her way to fix the potion? Why did he give her an out to get rid of McLaggen? The silence stretched between them for a few moments as Draco adjusted his collar, "I asked first."

Hermione didn't expect that. She looked away from him and spoke very quietly. "...I didn't like seeing you suffer."

Draco felt his breath catch for a moment at her response. Her dark eyes slowly came up to meet his, "I asked second."

"...Same." He said quietly.

Hermione raised a skeptical eyebrow at that response. She opened her mouth to say something but Draco held up a hand and shrugged, "A lot has changed this year, Hermione. Take it or leave it."

She pushed his hand away, rolling her eyes, then pursed her lips slightly. "Are you serious?" He nodded. "...where are we going?"

"Out," Draco replied with another smirk. The blush that burned in her cheeks at that word made him grin. Her reactions were incredibly entertaining. This was going to be fun.


	2. Preparations

Chapter Two: Preparations  
A few hours later, Hermione was organizing her desk before leaving for the weekend. She had been behind on a few reports from their previous sessions, and this extra time let her get them done. Part of her couldn't believe what had just happened. The potion worked, and she had a Valentine's date. Was she dreaming? Hermione gave herself a hard pinch, wincing. No. Definitely not.

After she and Draco went separate ways, he said he would owl her the location and a meeting time by this evening. Was this really happening? Was it a prank? It'd be a cruel one if it was. But somehow, it didn't feel like a joke. She'd seen Draco frown when McLaggen touched her, and damn near scowl before he took that hand from her shoulder. Did he make up that story because she was uncomfortable? Or himself?

Hermione tried to stop thinking about it, walking to the fireplace in her office. He'd probably send an owl to cancel, right? No big deal. She tossed a pinch of Floo powder in the flames to return back to the Burrow. Green flames shot up around her body. She'd been staying in her friend's home for the past year. It felt safe to be surrounded by all the Weasley's, and Harry. And especially Ginny.

Her red-headed friend was impatiently waiting for her at the fireplace. She tossed a parchment to Hermione as she stepped from the flames. Baffled, Hermione caught it unsteadily and rolled it open to see Harry's handwriting.

McLaggen says Hermione's going on a Valentine's date with Malfoy?! Ginny- I knew they were working together, but seriously?! Do you know what's going on?

Hermione groaned, tossing the parchment back to Ginny. She stomped to the table, placing her bag down with a heavy thud, then slumped against the wood, folding her arms down and resting her head against them.

Ginny gasped. "Dragon dung, Hermione- it's true?!" 

She nodded, keeping her face hidden. "But it's not what you think, Ginny. McLaggen was being pushy. Draco pushed back. He doesn't really want me to go on a date- he just…" her voice faded as Ginny put an arm around her shoulder, sitting next to her.

"Hermione… what the hell happened?"

She pushed her head up from the table, holding her skull in her hands, feeling a blush creep up her neck. Hermione had started to crush on Draco, and Ginny was the only one who knew about it. She wasn't entirely sure when it had started, but denying it was useless. Doing something was useless, too. He'd only started relaxing around her because they had worked together for the past year. There was no way he really wanted to go on a date with her! This entire situation was a little painful.

"I really don't know... McLaggen turned up, and it all got so messy…" Hermione ran her hands through her hair, sitting back in the chair.

"Walk me through it." Ginny suggested, flicking her wand at the pantry. Two cups of tea poured themselves and floated over. Hermione took hers as she explained everything, ending with a shake of her head, staring at her own reflection in the tea.

"Ginny… should I just cancel? Pretend I'm sick?" Hermione tightened her hands on her nearly empty cup, feeling her stomach flip in confusion. She wanted this, but not to pretend. How was she supposed to get through tomorrow night without making a fool of herself?

Ginny had a thoughtful look on her face. A grin crept across her lips. "Hell no- Hermione, I think he likes you!"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She flushed, staring at Ginny. "What?"

"You said he frowned when McLaggen touched you? Pushed his hand off?" Ginny questioned. Hermione nodded. "Girl, why would he care? Why would that bother him?"

"I don't know." She sighed, placing her cup down.

"Well…" Ginny pressed, "If another woman had walked in and put her hand on him, how would it make you feel?"

Irritated, annoyed and a tiny bit jealous, she knew. Was that how Draco felt? Hermione didn't reply. Instead she bit her lip, meeting Ginny's gaze. Her friend had a Cheshire cat grin on her face. "Uh huh. Exactly!"

A tapping at the window made them both turn their heads. A sleek looking black owl sat on the window ledge, a letter clamped tightly in its beak. Ginny walked over, flipping the latch and letting the owl swoop inside. It flew to Hermione and dropped the letter in front of her with an adorable little curtsy. Then, it hopped to the edge of the table before sitting down and waiting expectantly.

That was Draco's handwriting. Hermione picked the letter up slowly, turning to see a Slytherin wax seal on the back. She broke the seal, unfolding the parchment.

Hermione,  
We're going to Clos Maggiore. It's a nice restaurant on King Street in Covent Garden. I think you'll rather enjoy it. Reservation is at 6:00. Unfortunately my mother caught me booking our reservation. She's put in a clothing order for us both. I apologize in advance, whatever she sends is going to be over the top, but please consider wearing it. It'll save me a fight with her later. Where would you like me to meet you? Send answer with Calypso.  
Draco

"A muggle restaurant?" Ginny questioned. "That's surprising."

Hermione jumped. She hadn't realized Ginny had been reading over her shoulder. Her friend was already handing a parchment back to Calypso, who took it in beak and stood, giving another curtsy before turning and flying through the open window.

"Ginny." Hermione put the letter down quickly, pressing her hands against it while abruptly standing from the table, "What did you tell him?"

"Oh, I said he should come here at 5:30 so we can get pictures," Ginny replied calmly, closing the window and turning back to Hermione, grinning again. "And see you two off properly."

"Ginny!" Hermione put both hands over her mouth in horror, "Here?! What about Harry- and Ron?! How are they going to react when-"

Ginny burst out laughing, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I know! This is going to be amazing!"

Hermione frowned, pulling her hands from her mouth to her hips. "Ginny! Seriously, it's not funny-"

"It's hysterical! Oh I can't wait for this!" She wiped a tear away. "Besides, you think my parents are just going to let you go off without giving him a proper talking to?"

"A proper what?" Hermione frowned.

"Nothing," Ginny said with a giggle. "Oh, I can't wait to see what dress she sends. I bet it's going to be super elegant!"

Hermione sat back down, staring at the speck of an owl that had flown from the window. The full weight of this hit her. She was going on a date. On Valentine's Day. With Draco Malfoy. And Ginny had just made sure there would be plenty of pictures and witnesses. She groaned, elbows on the table, face in hands. "Ginny… what the hell! How can I just play along with this?"

"Hey, he's the one using all the 'we' and 'us' and 'our' in his letter," Ginny replied simply, "He also chose a muggle restaurant because he thought you'd enjoy it. Read between the lines, smarty-pants!"

Hermione paused. He had done that. Could Ginny be right? Was he using this as an opportunity to take her on a real date? Not a pretend one? Because he wanted to? No. She was getting her hopes up. 

Ginny pulled at Hermione's frizzy hair. "We better get started on this. What did you use for the Yule Ball?"

The Yule Ball. That felt like a lifetime ago, now. Was that really the last time she'd gotten dressed up and gone on a real date? It might've been. Hermione pulled on one of her own curls, remembering how smooth they had been that day. "Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and Scalp Treatment. That stuff really is magic."

"Let's go get a bottle, then," Ginny stood, turning to the fireplace and reaching for the Floo powder. "If you're gonna do this, better do it right."

Not long later, Hermione and Ginny sat in the bathroom, charming the potion to her hair for the overnight setting. She'd wash it out in the morning. Hermione could hear everyone gathering in the kitchen downstairs for dinner. She exhaled heavily, looking up at Ginny in the mirror. "How the hell do I tell them?"

"Oh, you won't have to do that." Ginny replied simply. "We left his letter on the kitchen table. Do you really think they're not gonna read it?"

Sure enough, a loud voice carried up the stairs, "Oi, who's friends with a snake in this house?"

"You put that down, it's got Hermione's name on it-" Molly Weasley's voice followed, but the aggravated sound she made clearly said she was being ignored.

"Told ya," Ginny said with a satisfied smirk. "That'd be George. C'mon, I want to see their faces!"

Ginny burst through the door, hurrying downstairs. Hermione followed at a slower pace, heart flipping strangely in her stomach. How bad was this blowout going to be? George cleared his throat. "Lemme see… 'Hermione, We're going to… Clos Maggiore? What the hell is that? Hang on…" a disbelieving laugh, "Blimey! Would you look at that!"

"Come now, George," Molly snatched the letter from his hand. "That's really none of your-" she paused, seeing the name. Her eyes shot open and she held the parchment open in both hands to read the letter. "Oh! Oh my!"

Hermione stood in the staircase. George had a bewildered grin on his face, shaking with silent laughter, eyes tilted toward Ron expectantly. Harry and Ron both silently came up behind Molly to read the letter. Harry glanced straight to the signature and his eyes widened in surprise. He looked over towards Ginny who gave a double thumbs up, confirming it. Ron had a glass of water halfway swallowed. He choked suddenly, sputtering out the water while gasping terribly. Harry moved to give him several solid thumps on the back as George cackled.

"No way!" Ron gasped, "No way- that's some kinda sick joke."

"McLaggen said she was going with him," Harry said with a shrug. "I really don't think it's a joke."

All three boys turned their gaze to Hermione. The potion in her hair seemed all the confirmation any of them needed. Harry gave an awkward laugh, clearly uncertain how to react. Ron just stared. George grinned, then cleared his throat, adopting his father's voice.

"He better pay for all the trouble you get into," George said with a fatherly like scowl, ruined by the upward turn of his lip. He pointed towards her in a mock lecturing style. "That git comes from an Old Wizarding family with tons of galleons and courtesy- and that place sounds fancy- so he'd better be treating you."

"Well, that much is a given," Molly said with a shrug, folding the letter. "Draco had better be a true gentleman tomorrow, or else."

"Draco?" Arthur piped in from the living room, "Draco Malfoy? Lucius' son? What's all this, Molly?"

"He's taking Hermione on a Valentine's date," Molly called from the kitchen. Hermione felt her face heating up. Why did they all have to read that damned letter? What had she done to deserve being embarrassed like this?

"Really?!" Arthur strode into the kitchen and Molly handed him the letter. "How interesting! And look, it's a muggle restaurant, too!"

"This can't be real." Ron wheezed, eyes wide in disbelief. "Bloody hell Hermione, are you sick? What's going on?"

She wished she knew what was going on. Was it real? How did she answer? Did she tell them the full story, too? Ginny spoke up, saving her the trouble. "It's quite real, Ronnikins! Draco is picking her up here tomorrow evening."

"Wait- here? He's coming up here?!" Ron jerked his head towards Ginny, who nodded.

"Damn right he's coming here." Molly and Arthur said together. Molly continued on her own. "He's escorting her, and he'll do the thing properly." Molly walked over to hand Hermione Draco's letter, patting her hand with a fond smile. "It will be a lovely time, I'm sure."

Ron dropped his glass and it shattered on the floor. He stumbled gracelessly into a chair, visibly in shock.

Ginny grinned, clearly enjoying every bit of Ron's discomfort. Hermione didn't move. Harry hadn't said anything yet. She met his eyes, half expecting him to start lecturing her about making friends with the enemy. Harry sighed. "If he does something stupid, will promise me you'll set his arse on fire?"

Hermione relaxed, smiling at Harry. "What color should I make the flames?"

George cackled and just like that the tension was broken. Ron seemed the only one truly bent out of sorts, but she could handle that. She walked to join Ginny by the window- who was quick to point out an owl arriving with a package. Her new dress.


	3. The Date

Chapter Three: The Date  
Draco took a deep breath, trying to be patient as his mother adjusted his collar, hair, and pocket square for the thousandth time. She did this anytime he got dressed up- always had, and he had learned, she always would. Narcissa was passionate about fashion. She'd never missed an opportunity to play dress up, and her sense of style never failed to miss a beat.

In reality, the preening helped his nerves a bit. Why was he nervous? It was just a dinner to get her away from McLaggen. Just an act, one night together. They'd done that plenty of times this year… but never outside of work.

Hell, it was more than that and he couldn't lie to himself. Narcissa knew it, too. Draco had researched for hours after they'd finished the session. In the end, he had chosen a romantic restaurant- and he'd purposefully found a muggle one because he thought she'd like it. His mother had heard him call the location to make a reservation. Her letters immediately started flying to her clothing stylist.

Draco had several different plans for the night. Dinner was the first step. No actually, that would be walking into the Weasley’s family home to meet Hermione. No big deal.

Fuck. He was nervous. He hated feeling that way.

Narcissa finally stepped back with a smile of approval. "You have all your muggle cards?" Draco nodded calmly. "Excellent. And remember to be a perfect gentleman this evening!"

He nodded again. He had already put up with his mother reviewing every single possible courtesy last night at dinner. Part of him deeply regretted making that phone call so loudly. He wasn't exactly sure how well Muggle telephones worked, and he had been projecting his voice entirely too much.

His mother had gotten hold of one of the devices to try to reconnect with Andromeda. The two of them had a monthly phone call for the past year. Draco wasn't sure why they didn't just meet in person, but the phone itself in the house was a huge sign of Narcissa attempting to overcome her prejudice against Muggle-borns.

"You have the mobile?" She continued, reaching up to adjust his hair again, "You'll take pictures?"

"Yes, mother." Draco replied, gently catching her hand to stop her. "I really do need to be going, or else I'll be late."

Narcissa nodded, "Alright then. Wand?"

Draco placed her hand against his chest so she could feel the wooden wand safely stored in the secret jacket pocket. "It'll be fine, mother, it's a Muggle restaurant. No one will cause any trouble there. Especially not tonight."

Narcissa was now paranoid that something would happen to Draco. He tolerated all of this excessive mothering because he knew it would help her be calm. Narcissa ran her hand against the jacket, barely straightening his tie. "Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow. I'm going to spend the evening with your Father."

That made him wince. Lucius and Narcissa usually enjoyed a trip away on Valentine's day. She enjoyed it. This year, she'd be spending that time sitting across from a window of glass. They wouldn't be able to speak privately, or even touch. Lucius was still being kept tightly secured in Azkaban's upgraded security systems. Narcissa didn't appear to care. She just wanted to be with her husband.

That surprised Draco immensely. After everything that had happened, he expected Narcissa to divorce his Father. It appeared he was wrong.

Draco watched his mother use the Floo first, vanishing in the green flames. He exhaled heavily before he picked up a vase of flowers and stepped into the fireplace himself. Here goes nothing.

He called out, "The Burrow." In a flash, he spun away, stepping through the fireplace into a warm home. Several people were speaking loudly. It smelled like spices and herbs. The sound around him vaporized as he stepped through.

Draco stood in the kitchen of the Weasley family home. There was Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter, but no sign of Hermione. Damn. It. All. To. Hell.

Draco brushed the remnants of sut from his shoulder, nodding his head politely at Mrs. Weasley. He stepped forward and handed her the vase, which she took with a kindly smile. Arthur shook his hand firmly, giving him a thunk on the shoulder. "Sit down now! Let's have a chat while you wait. Molly dear, would you go let Hermione know Draco's arrived?"

Molly retreated. Draco internally prayed Hermione would be down any second. He sat as Arthur Weasley guided him to a chair. "Where will you two be off to this evening?"

"King Street." Draco replied calmly, "And a bit of wandering about the city afterwards."

"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "And what time will you be returning Hermione this evening?"

"Whenever she asks to return home, but I guarantee before midnight." Draco tried to ignore Harry and Ron sitting around him at the table. Harry didn't bother him much anymore. They had also been forced into communication with the past year of work. Ron, however, was a different story. He would really prefer to avoid a fight with the git. Where was Hermione?

"You'll bring her back by ten o'clock." Ron spat coldly. Draco felt his face harden, heat growing at the back of his collar.

"Who are you to negotiate her curfew?" Draco sneered, narrowing his eyes at Ron.

"I'm her best friend," Ron snapped. "You're playing some kind of trick on her, aren't you?"

Draco paused. What had she told them? He wasn't about to mention McLaggen, now. "It's not a trick, Weasley. I asked her to dinner. She said yes. That simple."

"Nine o'clock." Ron hissed, going purple in the face. Draco felt the heat in his neck begin to inch up to his cheeks.

"Shut up, Ron." Ginny walked into the kitchen. "No one's putting a curfew on their date. Don't be such a bother."

Draco turned. The anger he had felt heating his face faded. Hermione was walking down the stairs, and for one moment, he felt himself stop breathing. Her hair was smoothed, curls tamed and artfully pinned at one side of her head, cascading freely down her other shoulder. She wore a bold red dress with a high neckline and no sleeves. A black shawl was draped over one arm. Her makeup was simple, and the effect it had on her dark eyes was mesmerizing. He met her eyes and exhaled softly, stunned. She was radiant. Hermione flushed under his wordless gaze. Draco stood, stepping to the staircase and offering her his hand. She took it and he tucked her arm into his as she stepped down.

You look beautiful. Why couldn't he say it? What was wrong with his voice? A sudden puff of smoke broke the spell and they both jumped slightly. Ginny grinned as she reloaded the camera. "Smile pretty!"

Thankfully, they were soon preparing to leave the Burrow to apparate to the restaurant. In the doorway, Draco summoned them both matching long black cloaks. Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Won't that appear suspicious to Muggles?"

"Will it?" Draco paused, considering. "Hmm…" he draped hers across her shoulders. "Don't care. It's bloody cold, and these cloaks have a warming charm."

Hermione met his fingers at the silver clasp. A pleasant shock flooded him through the touch. She paused for a moment to notice that her clasp was a lioness, his a snake. He took a deep breath while securing her lion clasp, speaking softly. "You look lovely, tonight."

Hermione flushed, dark eyes sweeping up his. There was another flash of purple smoke. Draco cursed softly, glaring at Ginny.

"Last one!" She promised, "Have fun!"

Draco opened the door and let her through first. They walked away from the house arm in arm before apparating to Kings Street.

He let out a sigh of relief. That hadn't been terrible. "Remind me I need to take some pictures with this mobile later. I couldn't do it there. Your friends are something."

"Yeah, Ginny can be a little intense." Hermione looked relieved that they'd left as well.

They strode off towards the restaurant. The location was decent and Draco was impressed with what had been put together without magic. The ambiance of the restaurant was fantastical and romantic, with sweeping flowers across the ceiling and soft, warm candlelight flickering around the room. One glance inside suggested he may have overdone it with this place, but too late now.

"This place is fancy," Hermione muttered as they were seated, gazing around in surprise.

"It'll do," Draco said dryly with an upward turn of the corner of his lips. She met his gaze sharply with a raised eyebrow, but then saw his expression. She laughed. "And this is my treat, Hermione. My mother will kill me if you try to pay for anything this evening.”

A couple nearby suddenly burst into tears. An engagement? Several people toasted, tapped their water glasses or clapped for the couple. Draco wondered how many others may happen tonight. He gave her a wicked grin, speaking jokingly. "Shall I find you a ring?"

She stared at him in shock, then shook her head no violently, "Draco, don't you dare!"

He laughed, then the waiter arrived with menus and specials. Draco opened the menu to be polite, but he always got the specials. Once their orders were in, Draco took his time to enjoy the blush that ran up her neck as he spoke. "So, then, how did you go about telling everyone about our date?"

It was a bit of a dream. Throughout the entire meal, they were talking and laughing, and it was easy- comfortable- flirtatious at times. The entire experience was better than he had anticipated. Draco had many questions about Muggles- but he'd never been able to ask anyone. Hermione knew so much about everything that they never ran out of things to talk about. And the food was absolutely splendid!

"Come to think of it," Draco said thoughtfully as they were finishing their desserts, "Why are you staying at the Burrow? Shouldn't I have met your Father?"

Hemione's smile faded slightly. Draco felt her close off, shoulders tensing. Her gaze fell to the table for a moment, one hand closing to a soft fist before resting on the tablecloth. "My parents… are far away right now."

Draco didn't understand. She was a witch- she could appear anywhere. "What does that mean?"

"It means it's complicated." She answered evasively.

"So make it simple." Draco responded easily. This was the first sign of tension he had seen from her all night. If she didn't want to talk about it after this final prod, he'd back off. 

She was silent for a long moment before poking her dessert, not meeting his gaze. "They don't remember me." Hermione said sadly.

Draco frowned eyebrows folding together in confusion, "What?"

"I obliviated them before the last school year." Hermione continued quietly, "I knew… I knew they would be safer that way."

Draco felt his eyes widen. He tried to imagine himself standing before Narcissa and Lucius, and wiping himself from their lives. He wouldn't have been capable of that. Without thinking, he reached a hand across the table to take hers, giving it a squeeze. She dropped her spoon, looking up to meet his eyes quickly. Her lips forced a smile. He hated that look. Her eyes betrayed that beautiful face. "It's alright. I should be able to put them right again soon. Some Healers at St. Mungo's are working on it." Draco didn't reply. Erasing memories was no small feat, and neither was returning them. Her smile faded slightly. "I really would rather talk about something else, though, if you don't mind."

Another couple nearby was suddenly crying and laughing. Another engagement? Draco tilted his head at her, keeping his expression serious and using the opportunity to abruptly change topics. He slipped his hand back towards his chest for his wand as he spoke lowly. "I really could summon a ring and-"

"Don't even think about it!" Hermione grabbed his hand. They both paused. She moved to release him but Draco tightened his fingers on hers.

"You sure?" He mused innocently, enjoying her flushed expression. She nodded vigorously, and he couldn't stop himself from bringing her hand forward to kiss her knuckles. Was it his imagination, or did he hear her gasp? "Alright then, on with the night."

"I thought we were just doing dinner?" Hermione questioned, sounding hesitant.

"Where's your sense of adventure, Gryffindor?" Draco teased, brushing his thumb along her fingers. He had a few more surprises planned.

Hermione bit her lip. His heart gave a jolt that made his breath catch. A sudden rush of heat in his chest at that look caught him off guard. That was an astoundingly captivating look, and it made him very curious about the sensation of her lips against his.

"Alright then, lead the way," Hermione replied, raising her chin defiantly at him.

Draco paid the bill, without much thought, heart still pounding from that unexpected desire. He took their cloaks from the waiter and draped Hermione's over her shoulders before securing his own. He offered her his arm as they strode from the restaurant. 

"Hold on tight." Draco said quietly as they prepared to apparate. "And close your eyes."

She obeyed. He let himself sneak one unguarded look at her face. She really was stunning this evening. For half a moment, he was tempted to kiss her. Just to see what she'd do. Sanity smacked him upside the head before he could be so brazen. He wasn't like McLaggen. With that thought, he vanished them to their next destination.


	4. Adventure

Chapter Four: Adventure  
"I hope you're not afraid of heights." He commented as they landed. Hermione went rigid, squeezing her eyes shut tight and wrapping both arms around him with a cry of alarm. She buried her face against his chest. Draco stumbled against a wall. "What the devil are you-"

"I'm afraid of heights!" She muttered against his cloak, tightening her grip on him. "How high up are we?"

Draco laughed, his chest rumbling. "Calm down, we're on the ground." She took a deep breath, trying to calm her fear. Damn, he smelled good. "Open your eyes." 

Hermione barely turned her head and squinted to the side. They were on the ground. She peeked up at him. Draco smirked. She slowly began to relax her grip around him, "Try looking the other way."

Hemione turned her head the other way and gasped in surprise, looking back up at him quickly. "The eye of the city?"

The giant ferris wheel was lit up, and seemed truly magical. Multiple colors blinked along the large wheel. There was a huge line of people waiting to get on it.

"Thought it would be a fun thing to do." Draco's chest rumbled against her as he spoke. That was when she realized she was still clinging to him. A dark blush swept through her face and she quickly released him, stepping back to smooth her cloak and hair.

"But if you're afraid of heights," Draco mused aloud, "Maybe this isn't the best idea."

"No! No it's lovely," Hermione insisted quickly, turning around, still flushed. "I love the eye, I just- I can't look at everything when I'm all the way at the top."

Draco paused, "You sure?"

She didn't hesitate before she gave a nod. He offered his arm again. Much to Hermione's surprise, they walked to the front of the line. Draco and Hermine were loaded into the next available compartment, completely alone. Hermione was stunned. She stared at him as the doors closed. "How did you do that?"

Draco merely perked an eyebrow. "I despise waiting. And sharing." He explained simply. "Arranged everything ahead of time. It's not that difficult."

He sure had gone to a lot of trouble for a pretend date. Hermione tried to ignore that as Draco secretly found his wand to flick a warming charm inside, then removed his cloak, tossing it on a seat. Hermione undid her cloak and did the same.

They stood side by side, silent, near the glass as the wheel slowly began to move.

"This has been a really lovely evening," Hermione said softly, looking over at him. "Thank you, Draco."

"I've enjoyed it too." He said with a teasing grin, "Still wish you would've let me charm a false engagement ring. That would've been hysterical."

She elbowed him playfully. "One fake date is more than enough, thank you."

One fake date. Damn. Hermione internally cringed as she looked away. That wasn't really how she felt. Now would be the time to say that this wasn't pretend, right? How long would it take to ride the wheel? Thirty minutes? Should she say something now? Or wait? She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Oh! Pictures!" Hermine said suddenly, grateful for the distraction, looking up at him again. "You asked me to remind you, I completely forgot!"

Draco closed his mouth. Had he been about to say something? He nodded, walking over to his cloak. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, sighing softly. Why was this so hard? What was the worst he could say, if she admitted she felt like this was a real date? 

She heard him muttering to himself. Hermione grinned, turning to look towards him while speaking in an amused tone. "Need help?"

"I don't know how this blasted thing works," Draco growled. "Muggle camera mobiles make no sense to me."

"Bring it here," Hermione turned her back to the glass. He offered, handing over the phone. "It's alright, you just had the video setting turned on."

She stopped the video and switched the mode to photograph, then motioned for Draco to come stand next to her. Hermione held the phone out to take a selfie of the two of them. She pulled it down and clicked the gallery to review the picture. Draco tilted his head curiously. "Why don't Muggle photos move?"

"Well, videos can," she flipped back once in his phone to the video he had accidentally recorded. "Like this."

She clicked play. A rustling sound began, then Draco's dress shoes came into sight. The video clearly caught the muttering she hadn't heard earlier. "How in the bloody hell do you tell her you want to kiss her, Malfoy? She still thinks it's fake. Damn-"

"Need help?" Her own playful voice questioned.

He snatched the phone out of her hand, muffling the rest as he cursed, shoving it in his pocket. Hermione snapped her head up to stare at Draco. He had gone very still, shoving both hands in his pocket, eyes not meeting hers, skin strangely pale, and cheeks barely pink. "I…" he swallowed hard, "I... didn't know it was recording."

Without thinking, Hermione leaned in and pecked him lightly on the lips. When she pulled away, he was staring at her, eyes wide with surprise, cheeks fairly colored. Embarrassed, she bit her lip, looking down, shocked that she'd just done that.

Draco's fingertips brushed her cheek, then caught lightly under her chin, turning her face back up to him. She felt her heart in her throat as he closed the space between them and met her lips softly. His lips were so warm. He lingered there for a sweet moment before pulling away.

They both stood there afterwards, smiling almost shyly. He offered his hand and she took it. They walked back towards the glass. The silence was comfortable, and his hand felt nice in hers. Soon they were nearly at the highest point. Hermione closed her eyes as she let go of his hand while turning away from the glass, crossing her arms hard across her chest and shivering.

A warm arm suddenly came around her shoulders. Draco spoke quietly, his mouth surprisingly close to her ear. "I can assist with a distraction, if you'd like?"

She shivered again, this time not for fear. Her eyes opened to look at him. Draco met her gaze with an inviting grin, eyes glancing to her lips. 

"What did you have in mind?" She asked hesitantly, hoping she was reading him correctly.

Draco gave an innocent shrug. "Well," he drawled, eyes sparkling, "I can think of a few things… what about you?"

"I-I asked first," Hermione stuttered, feeling her heart fluttering in her chest. It was hard to think with his scent so strong, his body so close, those eyes locked on hers. Why was he playing like this?

"I asked first," he corrected while stepping in front of her, placing both hands lightly on the rail behind her. He spoke softly, a playful smirk on his lips. "What kind of distraction would you enjoy, Hermione?" This teasing was too much. She felt her heart racing. Hermione bit her lip to try and get a grip. Instantly, that playful smirk evaporated and it looked like he held his breath. "Damn it, leave your lips alone," he whispered, closing the distance between them.

He kissed her. Harder, deeper than before, tongue brushing pleasantly against the place she'd bit. She stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his body against hers. Draco wrapped his arms at her waist, staying that way as he drew his lips away, hand brushing her cheek. She brought her hand to meet that one and held it gently.

"Just for clarification," Hermione managed to say, squeezing his hand nervously, "This is a real date, then?"

"...it is for me." Draco said quietly, squeezing back. "You?"

Hermione smiled, nodding, feeling slightly giddy. He let go of her hand, she returned it behind his neck. "Excellent." He glanced over her shoulder, his hand slowly sliding down her back. "We are still rather close to the top…"

"I guess you'll need to distract me some more." Hermione said, mocking his innocent shrug.

"Gladly." Draco muttered before his lips met hers again. Kissing him felt wonderful, and it did make her forget about the height. By the time they made it back to the ground, both of their lips looked like they had just had a good snogging.

"There's one more place I'd like to show you." Draco said while they walked away, arm in arm.

"Alright." Hermione smiled at him, holding tightly to his arm. She closed her eyes and they vanished from the spot. The cold air vanished instantly. Hermione could smell a crackling fire. She opened her eyes, and her jaw dropped.

Bookcases. Hundreds upon thousands of books were meticulously stacked on shelves from floor to ceiling. She turned around slowly, unable to believe what she was seeing, covering her mouth with a hand, a laugh of disbelief escaping. "Where in the world are we?"

"The library in the Manor." Draco replied easily, unclasping his cloak to toss on the back of the leather couch near the fire. He had a satisfied grin on his face at her reaction. "What do you think?"

Hermione turned slowly on the spot again, shaking her head side to side in awe. "...I think it's fantastic!"

She noted that Draco couldn't keep the satisfaction from his face while she began to wander through the library, marveling at the shelves of books. The smell of fresh biscuits and hot tea floated in the air. "Your tea will get cold if you spend all night looking for a book." He drawled playfully, that arrogant smirk in his voice.

"You can't just take me here and expect me to pick any random book off the shelf!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yes I can." Draco replied simply. "You'll find any random book satisfying because they're all good."

That made her pause. She glanced at the titles. Some she knew, others she didn't. Her hands began to pull several into her arms. "Have you read them all?" Hermione asked with a curious tone, her heels clicking on the ground.

"Not nearly," Draco looked up when she sounded closer. The silver haired man sat, relaxed on the couch, feet stretched out towards the fire and crossed at the ankles. A book was held open in one hand, his other arm stretched out along the back of the couch, twirling his wand casually in his fingertips. He smirked as she sat down next to him, flicking his wand to send her a teacup and saucer. "Granger, I know you're good, but I don't think you'll be able to read all of those in one night."

Hermione glanced at the stack, then shrugged, placing the pile on the side table and picking up the top book. She placed it in her lap while picking up the floating teacup and taking a careful sip, giving him a sideways glance as she spoke. "Well then you'll just have to bring me back sometime, won't you?"

He blinked as she placed the cup down, quickly hiding her face behind the book, feeling herself blush. A hand gently pulled the book down, away from her face. "Would you come back again next weekend?"

Draco tucked his wand behind his ear as he spoke. She hadn't ever seen him do that. When he put his arm back down, his fingers lightly played with a curl in her hair. "I would like that very much." She said quietly, smiling at him.

He gave yet another one of those overly confident grins. "Can we fake a proposal in a muggle restaurant next time?"

Hermione pursed her lips while smacking him playfully on the chest, moving to bring her book back up to read. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek, making her breath catch. "I'll take that as a maybe," he sat back, lifting his book again.


	5. Dating

Chapter Five: Dating  
A little while later, Draco found himself in a curious position. Hermione had fallen asleep on his arm, and damn did it hurt now! His wand had slipped from behind his ear and landed somewhere behind the couch. He was going to need to wake her up and get her home before midnight.

It was hard to convince himself to do that, though. Even though his arm was numb and dead asleep, he was content. More than that- he was happy. This evening had been incredible, and he didn't want her to leave. The fact that she had fallen asleep while reading was kind of adorable, and he was enjoying her so close to him.

It was approaching midnight, though, and he was certain if he didn't have her back by then, multiple Weasley's would come searching for his blood. That thought made him sigh heavily in irritation. Being ambushed by that family would put a sour end to an otherwise perfect evening.

"Hermione," Draco said softly, finally putting his book down and attempting to wake her. "Open your eyes."

She murmured sleepily but didn't move. How could he wake her? Draco thought for a moment, then spoke very quietly. "Did you spill tea on that binding?"

Hermione bolted upright, blinking sleepily and quickly turning the book over in her hands, brushing it off. "Did I?"

He smirked, then winced as he moved his arm painfully. Draco bit the inside of his cheek as he bent his arm, refusing to make any sound of discomfort. Hermione yawned widely, covering her mouth with a hand. "Did I fall asleep?"

Draco stood, collecting his wand while taking both their cloaks in hand. He pulled his on, then walked to her. Hermione now hugged the book close to her chest, still attempting to blink the sleep from her eyes as she stood unsteadily. Draco swung his cloak around her, book and all. "Keep that for now. Give it back when you finish."

Hermione nodded, then surprised him by stumbling into his chest sleepily and resting her head there. "Thank you."

Draco swallowed hard, the simple gesture had butterflies floating in his stomach. Damn she was cute, half asleep like this. "I'm going to apparate us back to the Burrow now, alright?"

"Mhmm." She muttered sleepily once more. Draco wrapped both arms around her and closed his eyes. The cold air hitting their faces seemed to wake her up a bit. Hermione shivered, pressing her face to his chest against the cold. Another fluttering in his stomach answered that motion.

Draco relaxed his grasp around her, but kept one arm around her shoulders as he turned them to the path and walked her up to the door. There, he took her hand to his lips for the last time that evening, and placed a respectful kiss on her hand. "Good night, Hermione."

Her face lit up with a fierce blush at that touch. He smirked as he let go, stepping away as she opened the door and disappeared inside.

Draco took a deep breath before he turned away from the Burrow, unable to contain the smile on his face.

That week flew by in a blink. Hermione owled him copies of their Valentine's picture, along with her phone number. They had been texting comfortably throughout the week, and she'd managed to explain how he could send her the picture she'd taken in the ferris wheel. He refused to send her that video, though. Soon, he was standing outside of the familiar door at the Ministry, heart fluttering excitedly. They went through the motions like normal.

Their familiar work routine ended early yet again due to the adjustments Hermione had made to the potion. Harry gave Draco an amused smirk before he vanished this time. Cormac McLaggen stuck his head in for a moment, giving the two a curious glance. Draco pretended not to see the man and spoke louder than necessary, "Last weekend was lovely, Hermione, thank you for agreeing to dinner with me."

Hermione perked an eyebrow at him, and he silently mouthed McLaggen. She rolled her eyes as she tugged his sleeve back down. "It was lovely, Draco, thank you again for asking me."

"Since we're done early, would you like to go get a bite to eat and find a good book to read?" Draco couldn't help the arrogant smirk that began to pull at his lips as Cormac's jaw dropped and Hermione gave Draco a wicked grin.

"That does sound like a nice evening. Let's do it." Hermione gave him a playful smirk as she sat back, "Do you know of a decent library open at this hour?"

"Absolutely." Draco replied, finally shifting his gaze to look at McLaggen. "Cormac!" He feigned surprise. Hermione turned and got to see the man's astonished face before the expression wiped clean. "Did you need something?" Draco drawled.

"Gotta go back to work," McLaggen muttered, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. The man vanished without another word, the door shutting slowly. They both held their breath, listening to the sound of his footsteps quickly retreating.

Hermione and Draco exchanged a look, then burst out laughing. "Well, you were right about that," Hermione said, wiping a tear from her eye. She turned to pack up her bag. "I don't think I'll have to worry about him bothering me anytime soon."

"Especially not now since we're dating." Draco sniggered, swinging his legs over the side of the couch.

Hermione dropped her bag on the floor. It gave another distinct, echoing rattle. Draco winced, again wondering what in the seven hells she had in that thing.

"Dating?!" She squeaked, reddening in the face.

Draco perked an eyebrow at her. "Would you like to leave it as an ambiguous term? Two people, highly attracted to each other, that snog each other senseless in high places and read together by fireplaces?"

"I just didn't expect you to want to call it dating." Hermione went red as she spoke, quickly reaching for her bag. That made him frown. Draco quickly caught her hand and held it between his.

"Did you think it was a one-time thing?" Draco asked slowly. "Is that what you want it to be?"

"No! Not at all!" Hermione quickly brought her second hand up to meet him now. "It's just… well, Draco, I don't really know when it counts as dating, or when to bring that up, or whether or not that'd seem like a strange question, or if it would-"

Draco squeezed her hands to stop her. She rambled when she was nervous. This was an understandable confusion, but it wasn't even a question in his mind. "Hermione, I told you already. I despise sharing. If we're going on dates, it's only you, and only me. We are dating, or we're not. I should have made that clear before I said goodbye last week." He hesitated a moment here, tensing. What if… this wasn't what she wanted? He hadn't even considered it, because he had assumed they were on the same page. His mouth suddenly felt dry. "Is that… I mean… Is that agreeable to you?"

Hermione leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Draco felt himself relax at the touch. "That is more than agreeable." Hermione said with a beautiful smile as she pulled away. He gave her hands one more squeeze before letting go so she could retrieve her bag.

"What do you feel like eating? Where are we going?" Draco asked, relief still flooding his senses now that they were in agreement.

"Out," Hermione echoed his own playful taunt from last week, and he felt himself flush slightly. He was dating Hermione Granger. They were going out. That made his breath catch slightly. He smirked and stood, offering Hermione his arm, as he would continue to do for each of their dates, for as long as she would have him.

Merlin, he hoped that would be a good, long time.


End file.
